SSS Rank Dragon Tamer: Unleashed
Chapter 59: The Choice

Chapter 59: The Choice

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The little bird sneezed in its sleep and rolled over, kicking up a puff of glowing lava dust.

"Yes," the Matron said without a hint of shame. "She is young. Her form... not yet refined. But within her burns the same eternal flame that I do."

Fenna’s breath caught. "Then why did she cause trouble in our camp for the past two days?"

"Because I sent her," the Matron replied calmly. "She was meant to bring you here. But she is still a child—unruly, playful. Mischievous, yes... but without ill intent."

She paused, then added, "I wanted to reach your spirit. To whisper across flame and instinct. And so, I guided her to you. Because I have something to ask."

Fenna took a step closer, her expression tightening. "Ask what?"

"Before that... I want to tell you a story," the Matron said gently. "Please, sit."

Zephyr and Fenna obeyed, settling onto a cooled obsidian outcrop near the lava pool. The air shimmered between them and the massive phoenix, thick with heat and silence. Then, the Ember Matron spoke—her voice slow and warm, like a tale passed down beside a dying campfire.

"I am a phoenix."

The words didn’t just echo in the chamber—they settled into it, as if even the molten lava paused to listen. Zephyr felt the hairs on his arms rise, despite the suffocating heat.

"I live in cycles," she continued. "Born in flame. Die in flame. Rise anew from ash. It is our way."

Her great eyes opened slowly—golden irises rimmed in red, ancient and knowing.

"Seven centuries ago, I came to this volcano. Wounded... hunted... nearly slain. I escaped a battlefield drowned in blood and poison. Each beat of my wings carried generations of memory. I fled, seeking a place to heal. Far from men. Far from war. Far from greed."

Fenna leaned forward, wide-eyed. "There was no city here back then?"

The Matron rumbled low in her throat. "Nothing but stone, wild rivers, and silence. I slept. And time passed like smoke. But I did not heal."

Zephyr’s fingers twitched in his lap.

"I awoke fifty years ago," the phoenix said, voice deepening. "And I found a world that had changed. The air was thin. The heat, hollow. The mana... gone. Siphoned."

Her head turned, glowing gaze falling on Zephyr.

"Humans built cities. Forges. Kingdoms. And in their hunger, they drained the ancient leyline beneath this volcano. My sanctuary, my hearth—emptied."

Zephyr inhaled slowly, chest tight.

"My wounds never mended," she continued, feathers rustling like burning leaves. "The world was too full, too loud. I had two choices. First... I could absorb all that stolen mana. Reclaim it. Trigger an eruption that would consume cities, boil rivers, and return fire to fire."

Fenna’s hand flew to her mouth.

"But I refused," the Matron whispered. "I’ve seen too much death. My flame is tired of destruction. I chose rebirth instead."

She turned her gaze to the tiny ball of fluff sleeping at her side.

"She is my ember. My next breath in the cycle. But... she was born too soon. Before my spirit had fully faded. She is too weak to grow unless she bonds with a living heart. One not twisted by greed or tainted ambition. A soul still unclouded."

Her eyes locked onto Fenna.

"You."

The chamber seemed to still.

"Among all those with beast affinity I could touch... your heart shone brightest. Pure. Unselfish. My daughter was drawn to that light. She chose you... because I led her to."

Fenna looked at the baby phoenix, twitching in her dreams. The once-annoying fat chicken now felt like something much more.

"She didn’t mean to destroy your clothes," the Matron added gently. "She was drawn to your warmth. As a hatchling seeks shelter. I ask you now—not as a monarch—but as a mother... will you help her? Raise her? Guide her?"

Zephyr watched Fenna closely. Her lips parted. Her fingers trembled. She wasn’t crying, but awe and uncertainty warred across her face.

Silently, Zephyr called inward.

[SYSTEM ACCESS — QUERY: CONFIRM ENTITY INFORMATION

Scanning...

Entity: Ember Matron

Species: Phoenix-Class Legendary Beast (Myth Rank – Dying Cycle)

Current State: Critical (Fading)

Truth Integrity: 100% Verified

Note: This being is telling the truth. No hidden protocols detected.]

Zephyr exhaled and turned to the Matron. "Tell us what you need."

The Matron’s wings stirred, fanning the chamber with waves of dry heat.

"My time wanes. I have burned long... and soon, I must return to the ash. My daughter—my ember—needs a guide. A bond. A hand to steady her flame."

Fenna’s voice came softly. "You want me to tame her?"

"No," the Matron said. "I want you to raise her. Not as a master. As a mother."

Zephyr looked to Fenna. Her fists clenched in her lap. Her eyes swam with emotion: fear, wonder... and something else—something deeper. Resonance.

"And if I say no?" she asked.

"She will fade," the Matron said plainly. "Too young to survive the tides of heat and instinct alone. Without a bond, she will vanish."

Fenna bit her lip.

The fat little phoenix rolled onto her back, tiny feet kicking at the air as she snored.

Zephyr whispered, "You don’t have to say yes. It’s your choice."

"I know," Fenna said. Her eyes didn’t leave the baby bird. "But..."

"But what?"

Before the Matron could answer, Fenna stood up.

Her voice was clear. Steady.

"I’m willing to help you."

Zephyr blinked. "Fenna—"

She didn’t look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the Matron.

"I don’t care how dumb or fat that bird looks." She jabbed a finger at the snoring chick. "She came to me. Trusted me. And I won’t let her die."

The Matron’s eyes shimmered, the fire within brighter than before.

"Then I will tell you what must be done."

The great phoenix bowed her head slowly.

"Take her. As I return to ash... let her rise beside you. She is clumsy now, but her wings will one day spread wide. And when they do, the sky itself will remember your name."